Fast Company: How to turn your Monday into a day you actually enjoy

Studies have found that having weekends to relax not only makes us happier, but healthier, too:

Far from frivolous, the relatively unfettered time on weekends provides critical opportunities for bonding with others, exploring interests and relaxing—basic psychological needs. -Richard Ryan, professor of psychology at the University of Rochester

One study on why people are happier on weekends found that autonomy and relatedness have a large part to play. On weekends we have more control over what we do (autonomy) and we often spend time with people we’re close to (relatedness). Compared to the external pressures many of us feel at work during the week and the weaker relationships we have with colleagues versus our friends and family, weekends tend to rate far higher than weekdays for these two things.